SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Inadequate planning by campus police and inappropriate behavior from student demonstrators led to a pepper-spraying melee outside a Santa Monica College Board of Trustees meeting last April, according to an independent review released Friday.
During the April 3 incident, 100 students gathered outside the board meeting to protest a proposed two-tier fee plan that would have charged more for high-demand courses, the Los Angeles Times reports. During the event, one officer deployed pepper spray and raised a baton, sending two students to the hospital and leaving others with minor injuries.
The report states that officer’s actions did not comply with policy, as there was no order for the crowd to disperse before the pepper spray was used. Furthermore, the review notes that students did not understand the limits of their free speech rights. It also listed 13 recommendations, including better planning before large demonstrations and increased training of campus police.
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